Former Great Western Railway (GWR) loco's ‘Scene’ at Peak Rail, Rowsley

In May this year, Mr. Pete Waterman announced that he was re locating his Heritage Trust rail collection or part of it to the Peak Rail site located at Rowsley in Derbyshire.

 

On a visit there recently, I was fortunate to find that two of the locomotives had arrived.

 

5224

 

A 2-8-0T tank locomotive, belonging to the 5205 Class built at Swindon in 1924 for the ‘GWR’ specifically for moving heavy coal trains in South Wales. The class ran to 70 units.

 

Withdrawn from BR service in April 1963, it was recovered from the Woodhams Brothers scrapyard at Barry in 1978. 

 

The loco features the modified front end as fitted to the later 5275 class which has the footplate raised above the level of the cylinders.

 

5553

A 2-6-2T tank locomotive known as a ‘Small Prairie’. Built at Swindon, it was a member of the 4575 class of which 100 of the type were built between 1927 and 1929. (5553 being built in 1928).

 

Withdrawn in 1962, it was the last locomotive to leave Woodhams scrapyard in 1990.

 

It was restored in the early 1990’s and went on to spend some time on the East Somerset Railway and the West Somerset Railway where it was working as recently as 2012.

 

It was moved earlier in 2015 to Crewe Heritage Centre for the start of its overhaul.

 

Mr. Waterman has other loco’s in his collection which might reasonably be expected to make the journey to Rowsley. It will be interesting to watch the progress of the venture.